Recommended previous courses:
PHY102, PHY107, PHY201, PHY204, PHY205, PHY206
Condensed matter physics deals with the description of the physical properties of matter when the interaction between its constituents are very strong. This is typically the case for materials and devices. It covers a very large field of knowledge that encompasses electric, thermal, chemical, magnetic, and mechanical properties, and all the combinations of these properties, in solids.
From the technological point of view, condensed matter physics have brought some major discoveries and new developments: electronic devices, sensors, actuators, transductors, power generation devices, energy storage, to name but a few.
This domain of physics is based on two different and complementary approaches. A first approach starts from the quantum microscopic constituents and describes statistically the macroscopic consequences. The second is a phenomenological macroscopic description based on general principles of thermodynamics and symmetries.
The goal of this lecture is to give an overview of the concepts, methods and applications, with a particular emphasis on the non-equilibrium thermodynamic approach of transport phenomena (electric, thermal, thermoelectric, magnetic...). The lectures are focused on the understanding of technologically important problems.
The following topics will be covered:
- Crystal structures and symmetries. Structural characterization of solids.
- Introduction to quantum theory of solids.
- Macroscopic approach: first principles of thermodynamics. Transport coefficients, and Onsager reciprocity relations. Conservation laws.
- Electric transport properties in metal and semiconductors. Thermoelectric effects. Hall effects, Nernst effects, magnetoresistance.
- Kinetics of magnetization: the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation, hysteresis loops and thermal activation.
- Kinetics of defects in solids.
- Standard anelastic solids (viscoelasticity).
Condensed matter physics deals with the microscopic description of themacroscopic physical properties of matter when the interactions between its constituents are very strong. It has an overlap with materials science, chemistry, biophysics and nanotechnology, and relates closely to atomic and molecular physics. Progress in materials elaboration has always been a driving force for technological progress: semiconductors, magnetic memory devices (“hard disks”), composite materials, or nanostructures are only few examples of solid state systems that directly connect fundamental concepts to applied physics.
This course provides an elementary introduction to condensed matter physics. Starting from the laws of quantum mechanics governing the constituents of matter, the course explores how the electronic properties of materials at the macroscopic scale emerge from the microscopic organization on an atomic or molecular scale. It will cover theoretical, experimental and technological aspects. The necessary theoretical concepts of statistical physics will be introduced heuristically during the course, and will be put on a sound foundation in the 6th semester course “Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics”.
The following subjects are expected to be treated:
- Crystal structures and symmetries. Structural characterization of solids.
- Quantum mechanics of electrons in crystalline solids, band theory.
- Metals, insulators and semiconductors.
- Transport properties (electric, thermal and thermoelectric)
- Collective phenomena (electronic orders including superconductivity)
- Spectroscopies: x-ray and neutron diffraction, tunneling
- Microscopy, photoemission
- Teaching coordinator: Backes Steffen
- Teaching coordinator: Del Pozo Frederick
- Teaching coordinator: Wegrowe Jean-Eric